The present invention relates to the field of ice hockey sticks.
In playing the game of hockey, whether on ice, asphalt or other surface, a great deal of stress is placed on hockey sticks which are typically employed to project a relatively heavy, e.g. 250 gram, hockey puck at speeds approximating 150 km/h. Other stresses may also be applied to hockey sticks, such as the stress imposed upon the blade portion of the stick by players who slap the ice or ground when taking a shot or handling the puck. In addition, goalie sticks often receive significant blows from high speed pucks and from players who barrel into the goalkeeper at breakneck speed in an attempt to score a goal. These and a myriad of other stresses imposed on hockey sticks in the game of hockey result in a relatively short lifespan for the hockey stick. Consequently, a player may need to purchase many hockey sticks in a season, which costs may be exacerbated when the hockey stick in question is a goalkeeper's stick.
A number of prior art patents address the problem of making the typically wooden hockey stick stronger and/or less prone to breakage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,288 issued Mar. 22, 1977 to Goverde discloses a hockey stick made primarily from foamed nylon mixed with glass fiber. In one embodiment, the stick is reinforced with an aluminum frame which is embedded in the blade. The reinforcement is provided with pierced openings for reducing the weight thereof, and to help bond the plastic material with the reinforcement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,990 issued Mar. 24, 1987 to Profit discloses a protective device for a goalkeeper's stick which is most useful for protecting the stick during practice sessions. This device is in the shape of a channel having a base and upstanding front and rear panels for engaging the blade. The rear panel of this device includes a number of openings therein in order to reduce the weight of the device. The device can be held on the stick by means of tape.
Published Canadian application number 2,078,254 describes a blade protector that can be made in one or two pieces and that fits on the bottom of a hockey stick blade. In this manner, the blade may be protected from ground abrasions such as occur when playing road hockey.
U.K. patent No. 1,259,467 issued Jan. 5, 1912 to M. Cunningham describes a plastic hockey stick that has a handle portion with a metal stiffening member embedded therein. In addition, hockey sticks which have an aluminum shaft and a wooden blade insert are currently available for sale in a variety of establishments. However, there are oftentimes explicit warnings at the point of sale that such sticks are not guaranteed against breakage.
The problem with the prior art is that while certain advances have been made with respect to strengthening the hockey stick, these advances have been minimal. To date, there is no hockey stick which, when used normally, can be considered virtually indestructible.